Hybrid electronic-film cameras allow photographers to capture scene images (the light images of particular scenes) as latent images on photographic film and as electronic images that are digitized and stored in memory. The electronic images are retained in the memory until being overwritten or being removed, such as by withdrawal of a removable memory unit. The electronic images are made available for use by downloading into a computer or other device. The photographer is generally allowed to view electronic images in the memory of the camera. The issue is, how should that memory be managed in attempting to meet the photographer's needs and expectations.
One of the problems is that the available space for latent images in a film unit and electronic images in memory can be the same; but this is not generally the case. One of the reasons is that the camera can accommodate film units having different numbers of film frames and the memory is fixed in size or is subject to change in a different manner. Another reason in some hybrid cameras, is that the camera can capture both electronic images that correspond to concurrently captured film images and electronic images that are captured without any concurrent film image. In most cases, thus, there is a disparity between the number of latent images in a film unit in the camera and the number of electronic images currently in the memory of the camera.
It is straightforward that photographers would like to be able to review every electronic image in camera memory corresponding to a latent image in a film unit currently present in the camera. It is not so straightforward how to handle electronic images in the memory of the camera that can do not correspond to latent image images in the film unit in the camera. Those electronic images can have been captured without a corresponding film image or can be electronic images that correspond to a latent image in an earlier film unit that has since been unloaded from the camera.
In his currently impractical to supply so much memory in a hybrid camera that all electronic images that a photographer is likely to have an interest in reviewing indefinitely remain available for the photographer to review. Thus, some electronic images in the memory must be overwritten during use. This overwriting can be done on a first in-first out (FIFO) basis. This approach does not take into account the fact that memory needed for review of electronic images corresponding to film images in a film unit in the camera is not static. This approach weights all electronic images equally and does not take into account any possibility of the photographer having different levels of interest in different electronic images. For example, the photographer may want to download some electronic images for later use and may intend to never use others of the electronic images.
Cameras are available that present widely varying levels of complexity for the user. Some people are willing to deal with complex features to obtain the attendant benefits. Others are not and prefer simpler cameras.
It would thus be desirable to provide an improved camera and method which manage FIFO overwriting of electronic images automatically, but do not treat all electronic images the same.